Table of Contents

¶ 1Leave a comment on verse 10
way back in the fifties new Queen on the throne
all we had was comics in our basement home
tennis balls ice cream vans football in the street
coalman came on Fridays life was so complete
Blow Football clockwork trains plastic spaceman suits
heavy leather footballs toe capped football boots

¶ 2Leave a comment on verse 20
Tony Hancock Doris Day Sooty and Dan Dare
we drank pop we played tag and football everywhere
round the block on bomb sites we would run and dream
one day we’d be famous and in the England team
Judy Garland Billy Wright Frank Sinatra too
Cowboy annuals Lost In Space Piglet Owl and Pooh

¶ 3Leave a comment on verse 30
Saturdays the ‘Pictures’ every week we’d go
Uncle Mac and Children’s fave’rites on the radio
through my bedroom window floodlights from the ground
when they scored or at the end you could hear that sound
blokes in caps and raincoats glrls in frilly skirts
teddy boys in drain pipes smoking after work
when the Coronation came didn’t have TV
we were all invited round to watch at number 3
then at last it happened that great moment came
two big kids called Phil and Les took me to a game

¶ 4Leave a comment on verse 40
I still can’t remember much couldn’t see a thing
I was only little but I could hear them sing
“Maybe It’s Because I’m a Londoner” I could hear them say
caught up inthat teeming crowd as they moved and swayed
my Nan knitted my first scarf sewed on all the names
I waved my old rattle at so many games
walking back at five o clock transistor radios
listening in to Sports Report in the rain and snow
rushing home for tea and cake Dixon of Dock Green
sometimes during Doctor Who my old Gran would scream
“don’t go far and just keep clean… don’t stay out too late”
we’d shoot off at nine a.m and not get back til eight !

¶ 5Leave a comment on verse 50
way back in the fifties before technology
long before your IPods or your PS3
back before Bill Haley Elvis Rock N’ Roll
it’s all still engrained in here written in my soul
back back way back way back in the day
back before the Beatles Bieber Jessie J
they say when you’re looking back everything looks cool
wish I’d concentrated more when I was at school
time plays tricks but memories nothing can erase
I’d give all to go back to those chlldhood days
didn’t need ‘no nothing’ conkers drove us on
we built dens and made it up as we went along
sliced bread jam sandwiches home-made lemonade
yeah …back in the nineteen fifties …..we all had it made

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Welcome to Football Poets -- a club for all football poets, lovers of football and lovers of (alternative) poetry. Discover poets in every league from respected internationals at the top of their game to young hopefuls in the school playground.

Publish your football poems here and then discuss them with your team mates and fans. We're archived by The British Library, so your masterpieces are in the safe hands of a world-class keeper. What a result!

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Latest Comments

It captures the essence of non-league football, and the travel involved to and from matches.

“Gathering on a Thames island for a sing-song”: possibly Eel Pie Island back in the 60s or 70s, a local venue that I never went to, but watched recently on a documentary.

I’ll count myself as one of these few Met fans!

I played on saturdays (SAL), but pre or post our season, I’d be supporting the Blues / football.

Given my ‘manor’, I’d be at either:

Stamford Bridge, or

Brentford, or

Imber Court, or

the Beveree (for Hampton, as was – now Hampton and Richmond Borough).

Imber Court holds a lot of fond memories for our family – it’s where we went on a regular basis to let off steam. I could cycle there safely with pals any time I wanted.

I watched Wimbledon champions in their early days there (venue for Junior qualifiers);, watched Chelsea train there for one pre-season (and grabbed a left behind sweaty shirt! Still have it – and yes, washed!).

Dad wasn’t much of a fan generally, but he joined me as we watched his friends and colleagues play, so a bonding time for the both of us.

My sister had her wedding reception there, and we had my mother’s funeral reception there earlier this year.

So your poem brought back some very touching personal memories, I thank you profusely for that.